Combined grader and bulldozer



May 3, 1932.

C. E. BALL COMBINED GRADER AND BULLDOZER Filed June 27, 1951 3 sheets sheet l 10 INVENTOR May 3, 1932. Q 5 L 1,856,148

COMBINED GRADE'R AND BULLDOZER Filed June 27, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR EiBalL ATTORN EY C. E. BALL May 3, 1932,

COMBINED GRADER AND BULLDOZER Filed June 27, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet aEBalf BY QM? ,QAAA;

ATTDRN EY lit Patented May 3, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES E. BALL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BALL WAGON GRADER 00., A. CORPORATION COMBINED GRADER AND BULLDOZER Application filed June 27,

This invent-ion relates to ground leveling or grading implements, my principal object being to provide an implement of this character so constructed that it may be efficiently used as a leveler with the forward move ment of the machine to which it is attached. or as a pusher or bulldozer upon the machine being backed up. Both operations which are frequently necessary at different times in connection with road grading or other earth construction work, may therefore be performed with the use of the one implement and with a minimum of time being consumed in maneuvering the same into place.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

la the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views;

Fig. 1 is a. side elevation of the implement. mounted in connection with a track supported scraper and disposed in its non-operating position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sideview of the blade unit of the implement, showing the functioning of the same as a leveler or grader.

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the functioning of the implement as a pusher or bulldozer.

Fig. 4 is a rear end view of the blade unit of the implement, partly broken out.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a. blade backing plate showing the means for locating and holding the securing bolts of the blade in place.

Figs. 6 and 7 are side views of a modified form of blade unit, showing the same in its pushing and pulling positions. respectively.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, and particularly at present to Figs. 1 to 5, the grading implement is mounted in connection with a wheel or track supported frame which includes horizontal side beams 1.

A scraper bowl indicated at 2 is mounted 1931. Serial No. 547,307.

between the beams toward their rear ends; this bowl being preferably of the type shown 1n my co-pending application for patent Serial No. 547,306, filed June 27, 1931, and being mounted and operated according to my co-pending application for patent Serial No. 5416.985 filed June 26, 1931.

Pivoted at their forward ends on the outside of the beams 1 toward their rear ends are rearwardly extending arms 3, which project beyond the rear ends of the beams 1.

t the rear ends of the arms, vertical gusset plates 4. are secured thereto. These plates are connected to a vertical transverse plate 5 which extends the full distance between the arms 3. Transversely extending angled beams 6 are secured along the bottom of the plate 5 on opposite sides to reinforce the same.

Mounted on the back plate 5 in spaced relation along the same and above the adjacent beam 6 are eyes 7 which form the supports for a shaft 8. Turnably engaging the shaft between the eyes are straps 9 which are secured to the pusher or bulldozer blade 10. This blade projects below the bottom flange of the adjacent beam 6, against which flange the blade normally rests. The shaft is disposed so that the blade has a rearward slope toward its lower end as shown.

Rigidly secured at the top and bottom to the legs of the forward angled beam 6 is a transverse plate 11 which is disposed with an upward angle to the rear. The leveling or grading blade 12 rests against this plate and projects below said plate and the beam 6. In order to removably and easily secure the blade in place on the plate 11, I provide a number of bolts 13 having T heads 14. The plates 11 and 12 have slots 15 corresponding in shape to the bolt heads. On the back of the plate are secured additional plates 16 having intersecting slots 17 cut therethrough and set at 90 to each other.

Each slot 17 is the same size as the slot 15, as shown in Fig. 5. In this manner the bolt heads may be inserted from the front of the blade through the registering slots 15 and 17 so asto clear the plates 16. The bolts are then given a quarter turn so as to aline them with the other slots 17, and they are then turned forward so as to seat in said last named slots and bear against the plate 11. The bolt heads are thus held from rotation and also against forward movement, the nuts are then applied to the outer ends of the bolts to clamp the blade against the back plate.

The arms 3 are supported for Vertical movement by suitable means such as cables 18 extending upwardly from the plates 4 and about drums 19 mounted on the frame above the blade unit. Another drum 20 is associated with the drums 19 and to which a driven cable 21 is applied. The particular arrangement for thus controlling the vertical movement of the unit may be varied however, and of itself forms no part of my invention.

In order to brace the blade supporting structure against lateral deflection when it is lowered to its operating position, I provide transversely extending cables 22. These cables are connected at one end to the plates 4 and extend upwardly in cross relation to each other to connections with a cross beam 28 which is fixed on the frame structure and above the beams 1 at their rear ends.

In operation to use the blade unit as a leveler or grader with the forward movement of the machine, the arms 3 are lowered until the forward blade 12 engages the ground to the desired extent as shown in Fig. 2. The blade 10 (which projects somewhat below the level of the blade 12) then engages the ground also, but since it isfree to turn on the shaft 8, it merely drags along the ground without offerinq any resistance.

If it is desired to use the blade unit as a pusher or bulldozer with a backward movement of the machine,- the arms 3 are lowered to a lesser extent, or so that the blade 12 will remain clear of the ground as shown in Fig. 3. The blade 10 then bears against the adj acent angled beam 6 and is held at a definite angle to the ground with the backward movement of the machine. In each case therefore one blade will not be working or subjected to any strainswhen the other is functioning.

In Figs. 6 and 7, I have shown a modified arrangement for accomplishing the same purpose. In this case the gusset plates 4a of the transverse plate 5a are pivoted at their forward ends for vertical movement on the arms 3a, such movement being limited in both directions by stops 24 adapted to engage the arms. Both plates 10a and 12a are rigidly fixed in connection with the cross beams 6a in the same manner as the blade 12, and the control cables 18a are applied directly to the arms 80!. I'Vith this construction the weight of the bladeunit is normally supported by the upper stops 24: hearing against the arms'3a as shown in Fig. 6.- When the arms are lowered and the machine is backed up therefor, the rear blade 10a engages the ground and functions to push the dirt back, while the forward blade 12a remains clear of the ground.

If the machine is then moved forward the resistance of the blade 10a with the ground causes the blade unit to swing about its pivot in connection with arms 3a until the setting of the gusset plates is reversed and the lower stops 24 engage the arms 3a, as shown in Fig. 7 The forward blade 12a is thus brought in contact with the ground to push the dirt ahead, and if necessary the arms may be raised slightly to then clear the rear blade from the ground while maintaining the forward one engaged. Such engagement is of course continuous as long as the machine advances, since the frictional contact of the blade with the ground maintains the unit relatively raised and the lower straps engaged with the arms.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A grader including a frame to move along the ground, arms mounted on and projecting rearwardly from the frame, a member connecting the arms at their rear ends, means to raise and lower the arms, and blades mounted on the opposite sides of said member, the forward blade having a downward and forward slope and the rear blade having a downward and rearward slope.

2. A grader including a frame to move along the ground, arms mounted on and projecting rearwardly from the frame, a member connecting the arms at their rear ends, means to raise and lower the arm's,blades disposed on the opposite sides of said member, the rear blade normally depending below the level of the forward blade, and means mounting the rear blade on the member so that when the arms are lowered until the front blade engages the ground, said rear blade will then drag without restraint along the surface of the ground.

3. A grader including a frame to move along the ground, arms mounted on and projecting rearwardly from the frame, a member connecting the arms at their rear ends, means to raise and lower the arms, blades disposed on the opposite sides of said mem-- ber, the rear blade normally depending below the level of the forward blade, means pivoting said rear blade along its upper edge on the member, and a flange projecting rearwardly from the lower edge of the member to till engage the back of the rear blade above its lower edge and hold the same disposed with a rearward slope toward said edge.

l. A grader including a frame to move along the ground, arms mounted on and projecting rearwardly from the frame, and front and rear blades extending between and mounted in connection with the arms, the front and rear blades having forward and earward slopes respectively toward their lower edges, and means to raise and lower the arms.

5. A grader including a frame to move along the ground, arms mounted on and projecting rearwardly from the frame, a vertical plate extending between the arms, forwardly extending members at the ends of the plate pivoted at their forward ends on the arms, means to limit the vertical movement of the plate relative to the arms, means applied to the arms to raise and lower the same, and blades mounted in connection with and depending from the plate on opposite sides of the same.

6. A grader including a frame to move along the ground, arms mounted on and projecting rearwardly from the frame, a member extending between the arms blades rigidly mounted in connection with and depending from the member on opposite sides of the same, means mounting said member in connection with the arms in a manner to cause only the forward blade to engage the ground when the arms are lowered and the frame is moved ahead, and only the rear blade when said arms are lowered and the frame is backed up, and means to raise and lower the arms.

'2'. In a grader, a transversely extending plate disposed at a slope relative to a vertical plane, a blade abutted against the plate, said blade and plate having matching slots, bolts having T heads to fit the slots, and members secured on the back side of the plate andhaving' slots to register with said first named slots and additional similar slots disposed at an angle to the first named slots.

8. A grader including a frame to move along the ground. arms mounted on and projccting rearwardly from the frame, means to raise and lower the arms, front and rear transversely extending blades at the rear ends of the arms, said blades having a downward slope toward the front and rear respectively, and means mounting the blades in connection with the arms in a manner to cause only the forward blade to scrapingly contact with the ground when the arms are lowered and the frame is moving forward, and only the rear blade to similarly engage the ground when the frame is moving back ward.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES E. BALL. 

